“Everyone joins a band in this life —and that music, like love, has the power to affect us all.”

At the funeral of Frankie Presto, Music (the spirit) shows up to tell the tale of Frankie’s life – the true one that no soul ever knew completely and Frankie himself could only guess at parts. Frankie was born during a siege at a church in Spain but the man who found him when his mother abandoned him as an infant raises him. Frankie starts taking guitar lessons at a young age from a blind man in the city. Frankie studies hard and his talent soon becomes apparent as the city faces more war. His father and teacher finally devise a plan to get Frankie out of the country, but their good wishes end up creating more hardship for them all.

I have read many of Mitch Albom’s books and picked this one up to read since I’ve enjoyed his other books. This one did not disappoint. It easily captured my attention and threw a few curveballs in the plot.

When Frankie finally finds success in America, he also realizes that his guitar is fixed with “magical” strings that turn blue when he saves a life. One life he saves is also the love of his life, yet fame often comes between them. Can Frankie settle down and focus on love and family or will music and fame always be his mistresses?

One of the main messages is that every small action creates a reaction. A decision to go pray leads to giving birth during a siege. Saying yes to giving guitar lessons leads to a famous musician being discovered. Our lives are all intertwined.

I would recommend this book to any adult as it deals with death, deception, drugs and fame.

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About Sarah Anne Carter

Sarah Anne Carter is a writer and reader. She grew up all over the world as a military brat and is now putting down roots with her family in Ohio. Family life keeps her busy, but any spare moment is spent reading, writing or thinking about plots for novels.